The White-breasted Nuthatch was photographed at a feeder. Feeder observation and field workers were both used to compile the 11th Annual Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania's South Butler Christmas Bird Count in 2023. BRIAN SHEMA/AUDUBON SOCIETY OF WESTERN PA

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For Butler County’s bird-watchers, the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is making sure this Christmas is a good one.

This holiday season, the Audubon Society is selling various gifts bird-watchers can use to further explore the nature-filled hobby.

Rachel Handel, Audubon’s communications director, said the most popular items bird-watchers buy, and possibly the best gift to get them, are feeders and bird seed. There also are a variety of feeders and seed available for different types of birds.

“That can be a really simple setup with a feeders,” Handel said. “We have these suet feeders that essentially are for high-energy birds like woodpeckers, these little square blocks of seed that birds love for high energy.”

Handel said the Audubon Society has seen local residents show passion for bird-watching even as temperatures drop, making bird-watching supplies a worthwhile gift for Christmastime.

“People get so excited about attracting birds to their yards and some aren’t getting out quite as much with the cold,” Handel said. “People like to have feeders. They can look out through window and see the birds, and they’re also helping birds by feeding them.”

Bird-watching is a very fast-growing hobby in the United States. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, tens of millions of Americans enjoy some form of birding. The Audubon Society said this is because it is so easy and accessible to anyone.

Customers can find bird-watching gifts at any of the Audubon nature stores, which includes those at Succop Nature Park and Buffalo Creek Nature Park. Purchasing gifts from those stores supports the organization’s mission of connecting southwestern Pennsylvanians to birds and nature.

The stores’ normal hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, they will be open until 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, for those who may not be able to do their shopping during the stores’ normal hours.

“We’re fortunate that here in Butler County we have three different reserves: the Succop, we have Buffalo Creek and we have Todd Nature Reserve,” Handel said. “In addition to backyards, which are often so big and open here in Butler County and attractive to native wildlife, the reserves are places where people can connect to nature.”

“You can get a nice gift for someone, and it opens the door to a nice, soothing hobby people can explore,” Handel added.